thanks for all the comments! I'm lucky to have this place..
guitar chain was -- guitar (Hamer Tele w/Seymour Duncan Hot Rail)tuned to drop C# -->Boss tuner >PS-5 Pitch Shifter Pedal>
AW-3 Dynamic Wah>Steve Vai Bad Horsie Wah>Pod Pro (distortion,compression,chorus,reverb)>Blue Max compressor>Behringer mixer>recorder (Tascam 788) some of the panned guitar was doubled..
I played a Roland XV 20-20 for strings and Alesis QS6.1 for bass.. 2 layers of strings(harmony)..
drums were programmed in Fruity Loops triggering a Roland TD-8..
I added nothing to the drums or the strings..
L1 limiter on the whole mix..
Doug H - maybe it's the autumn vibe that's giving it the Christmas feel.. I'll take it.. thanks Doug!
M.Brane - some said the drums were too low.. your thoughts help balance it out.. thanks Brain!
The Ghost of FM - I wasn't aiming at the holiday genre, so it's no surprise that it doesn't sound like one..

maybe it's the autumn vibe.. As far as the cymbals, there are some.. maybe the recording is a little dark, uncrisp, zero sparkle.. or as someone else put it, 'plain in a vanilla sort of way'

I guess it's better to be dull than harsh.. thanks Ghost!
joro - I listed the guitar chain at the top o the page.. thanks joro.. good luck with the pie!
Myx62 - strange.. I can feel the kick on my speakers.. agree that the mix could be crisper.. thanks!
Jason Bird - yup, lots of synth.. I guess I'd rather it be plain than harsh.. some sparkle would be nice though.. thanks!
freshears - me too! thanks David!
caryindy - appreciate the ears!
boydrj - I can't believe some folks thought the drums were too soft.. I can feel the bass drum over here.. maybe I need new speakers.. yeah I'll be adding movements, even if the only connection they'll have is in my head..

thanks dr.j!
mixmkr - always a pleasure!

thanks!
powderfinger - abrupt is my middle name! thanks for the ears powder!
MC Gitarz - 'tone poem,' I like that.. yeah they'll be more of this type of stuff.. I enjoy doing this a lot more than people will enjoy hearing it.. For me, every song is a success if I enjoyed the process.. your son has a good start with a Dad that does what you do.. my father is 73 years old and he's trying to learn how to play guitar so we can have acoustic jams when I visit him in Florida.. thanks man..
Khompewtur - "Bad Boys circa 1918"

that's funny.. I was working on a heavy song that used this progression.. I started adding keys and thought this might sound cool with a classical feel.. I did this version and went back and finished the heavy version.. I still have to add the vocals to the other version.. I think I have ADD so that's why I got sidetracked.. check out my response to dobro.. thanks Pappy O'Khompy!
Christopher M - thanks for the comment man!
fprod south - I'll be adding other movements that may or may not fit.. if only I could explain what's in my head.. thanks for the ears!
Guernica - hey Mike, I listed the chain at the top.. I hear you about the 788 compression.. I always mash the hell out of the bass with it, and also use it to help the guitars.. I don't like how it sounds on drums though.. I like it on vocals, although I hate my vocal sound.. can't wait to get my 2.02 upgrade!! thanks for your comments bruddah! I guess I'm a Halloweeny type of guy..

(holy shit that was stupid)
skids - thanks skids! I like those skid marks on your avatar!
Triple M - go pound the sand!

I guess one man's disjointedness, is another man's smooooth transition.

thanks as always Trip! at least we can be thankful there were no pops..
dtb - thanks Dan!
dobro -
this one made me laugh during the funny parts. But they're not funny really. It reminds me of watching and listening to politicians on the TV.
you really did sorta get what I was going for.. It was supposed to be kinda funny.. I pictured an elephant or a monkey in a circus, trying his best to perform a trick, but failing miserably in front of an audience .. then the violins again representing fear.. perhaps another beating by his trainer, who feels embarrassed.. or the trainer's trainer.. funny yet pathetic and sad..

Actually, I recorded about 70ish songs, but I'm only happy with a few as of today.. eventually I'll definitely be making a CD with some stuff in it.. I'll make an announcement here for anyone who wants a free coaster.. the claustrophobic quality could be because I get very tense around the end of the month when my bills are due.. some months I just scrape by, and that gives me the opposite feeling of freedom.. thanks for your comments!
Toki 987 - thanks Toke! I hardly add any e.q. to a mix after the fact.. I just try to use the right sounding samples for the tune and mix it every step of the way.. once I lay the last track, I'm done because it's been mixed as I go.. I guess it can be both good and bad.. nice job on the comp cd tune!
elephant - I'm pretty surprised that people think the drums lack punch.. I feel the bass drum over here.. maybe a bigger drum kit would have worked.. thanks!
SLuiCe - anytime! thanks for giving my an easy post to reply to!
Giganova - I felt the same way about your tune!

thanks!
Stratomaster - good to see you around Strato! thanks for popping in.. look forward to your next!
GT - it's less like a laboratory and more like a lavatory!

thanks GT!
Pedullist - I tried an EBow on a bass and got some cool fretless type sounds.. I hear what your saying about the violin part.. maybe one day I'll add some more stuff.. one day..

look forward to hearing anything new you have! thanks Ped!
Jagular - thanks for the ears Jag.. great song on the comp cd!
groucho - the mix does lack sparkle, shine, crispness, etc.. I rarely e.q anything at the end.. I guess I'd rather it be dull than be harsh, although I'm not completely happy with my sound, I don't know how to fix it.. appreciate the comments grouch!
participant - you said "furry," and then mentioned cables.. your soo right! I think my patchbay is dying.. I jiggled one of the cables and the sound got louder and fuller.. it was probably screwed up when I recorded this.. dust, dirt and smoke are taking a toll on my gear.. and my life!

check out Khomputer's and dobro's reply for some babble.. I guess it is a similar sound to head bag.. I forget about songs because I hardly ever listen to my stuff after it's recorded.. I probably have repeated myself, but I don't care..

It just means I'm still in the same funk.. Get something posted before I have to start bumping your previous threads.. thanks Chad!
MISTERQCUE - love the Q003 on the comp CD! thanks!
Village Idiot - good idea with the tympani.. a few nice little rolls would be cool.. thanks VI!
thanks again for all the great feedback! It adds another great aspect to home recording.. sometimes it takes longer to respond than it does to mix..

I ain't complaining though..